Privacy and Confidentiality
How We Manage Your Personal Health Information
SGH is committed to protecting personal and confidential information such as information relating to people’s health and other personal details.
We will only collect health and personal information that is necessary for us to assess and treat your health condition or improve our services. We will always try to collect health and personal information in a fair, lawful and non-intrusive way. Wherever possible, we will collect information directly from you rather than from third parties.
Who else receives information about me?
We will send a letter to your doctor after discharge. This letter summarises your stay at the hospital, your medication and any special instructions for your doctor. We may also provide information about you to a health professional/health care facility outside South Gippsland Hospital who requires the information in connection with your further care and treatment. South Gippsland Hospital may be legally required to release personal information about you, for the below reasons:
My Health Record
- My Health Record (visit myhealthrecord.gov.au, or call 1800 723 471) is an Australian Government digital summary of a patient’s health information. Examples of information uploaded to your My Health Record include Discharge Summaries, Pathology and Radiology results. This may occur every time you attend our hospital.
- If you do have a My Health Record, but you do not want South Gippsland Hospital to upload your health information for this hospital attendance or appointment, advise your treating team as soon as possible
- If you have opted out of My Health Record, no information will be sent
CareSync Exchange
- South Gippsland Hospital and the Department of Health collect and disclose information via a secure electronic health information sharing system to allow clinicians to access critical patient health information at the point of care across the Victorian public health system. Access to information about any previous treatment you received will enable us to provide you with safe and effective care.
- The Department of Health and South Gippsland Hospital handles your health information in the system in accordance with the Health Services Act 1988 (Vic), Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic) and Health Records Act 2001 (Vic). The Health Services Act 1988 (Vic) imposes penalties relating to unauthorised access, use or disclosure of information.
- Information collected and shared includes your personal information such as your name, date of birth and address, and relevant health information, including treatment you received.
- For more information, please see the CareSync Exchange Privacy Management Framework website and Your Rights and How to Provide Feedback Brochure (pdf, opens new tab).
Legal
- Providing your health information when requested for evidence in a court case
- Disclosure to liability insurers and lawyers in reporting an adverse event
Other
- A notifiable disease (where there is risk to public health if there is an outbreak)
- Health and personal information for quality and safety purposes (Health Services Act 1988), for investigating failure or to make changes for improving health services
- Sharing current and previously collected information relating to family violence risk and the wellbeing or safety of children to permitted key organisations – to keep people safe and perpetrators of violence in view
- Providing information to private health funds, Transport Accident Commission, etc as appropriate
- Quality improvement (including complaints management) and clinical audit activities that evaluate and seek to improve the delivery of a particular treatment or service.
For more details about the SGH Privacy Policy, contact our Quality Department on telephone 03 5683 9777.
We may contact you after you leave South Gippsland Hospital’s care to:
Help us improve care
We may contact you asking you to complete a survey telling us about your experience. This may be via email, phone, SMS or post. Your feedback will play a key part in helping us to improve services. If you have any concerns regarding requests for feedback, please contact our Quality Department on telephone 03 5683 9777 or email: sghosp@sghs.com.au
How can I access my information?
The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act 1982 and the Health Records Act 2001 gives you the right to ask for access to your medical record and personal information held by South Gippsland Hospital.
